7 Habits of Highly Effective People

I didn’t want to be 70 years old stocking shelves at a grocery store wondering why I didn’t achieve everything that I wanted to in life. I didn’t want to look at a can of Spaghettios and randomly have some epiphany that, if only I realized it decades earlier, would have made my life more fulfilling. Ultimately, I don’t have control over what happens to me, but I do have control over how I react to it. So much of what makes strategies work lies in execution, and so much of our ability to execute things well depends on habits of thinking drilled into us since childhood. I was terrified by the idea that I could have the most brilliant idea in the world, execute it poorly, and watch it fail miserably.

I deeply respect Richard Branson. When I look at someone like Richard Branson, not only do I see someone with a relentless work ethic; I see someone who is not ruled by destructive or inefficient patterns of thought. I love this book for two reasons. One: It does a great job of explaining seven habits of thinking that will allow you to effectively execute any strategy you have. Two: It is short. Perfection is not when nothing more can be added. It is when nothing more can be taken away.